Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Barb Richmond, founder, and CEO of Kiss Life, LLC, located in Stuart, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is working with the most wonderful people in healthcare. They are healthcare professionals who are devoted to helping people feel better by relieving their physical pain & dysfunction. And with my business, I am able to support these practitioners and help their patients and clients too. Some years ago, I developed a pain-relieving therapeutic tool that can be used within a treatment, and it's simple enough for practitioners to recommend to their patients for home use. I sell my therapeutic tools to healthcare professionals, clinics, and distributors around the globe.
Tell us about yourself
I created my business from a deep love and appreciation for hands-on treatment modalities that gently and profoundly provide pain relief. While working in business development for an international healthcare company, I was introduced to hands-on modalities that were helping people, from babies to adults, get relief from pain & dysfunction. I fell in love with the efficacy of these modalities. But the treatments could be costly. Often completely out-of-pocket expensive. And that's where my product idea was born. People needed something to help with pain relief in-between their treatment sessions. Something that could be used at home. There was a need...I worked for over a year designing a tool, incorporating elements of the therapies, and fine-tuning the feel and function. Then I tested the prototype with a team of experienced hands-on therapists. That was the day I knew I had "something." It was comfortable. It was easy to use. It was effective for pain relief. It had lots of applications. It was so exciting to see it all come together! The tool, the CranioCradle, came on the market in June 2010. There are now two versions, Original & Sport, and a hot/cold pack that I specifically designed to use with the Cradle.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest jazz is the elation I feel when someone tells me that the CranioCradle helped ease their pain. Or when a healthcare professional tells me that their patients love it or when a distributor calls and says I need to place an order - we have customers asking for your product! It is so rewarding. And being awarded a patent is pretty awesome too!
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
When you own your own business, you are everything. You may contract for a particular service, but you have to know what you want, how you want it, and how much it costs. You often have to do most things yourself. Taking care of it is rewarding, but it can also be challenging.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
To have a successful business, you need to know and understand your market. Your great idea has to make money. Research is key, and so is having a mentor, someone in your industry that's willing to guide you along the way. Your business growth depends on you, on your energy & enthusiasm. So two things, find time to chill (your best ideas can show up when you aren't stressing) and surround yourself with people who inspire you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.craniocradle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craniocradle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbrichmond/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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